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Fill In The Blank

Recently I did something I’ve never done before, and wrote a fictional short story for another blog who provided a small writing prompt. It was exhilarating and fun, and reminded me of how wonderful it is to have a community of like-minded individuals sharing their experiences throughout this journey called Parenthood (if interested, you can find that post here). It got me thinking about how different all of our journeys can be, yet how similar many of our experiences are.

This week, rather than doing a Parenting In 5 Words Or Less, I thought I’d do something even crazier. I want to know in one word, how you would sum up how becoming a parent has made you feel. Maybe your choice is tired, or fulfilled, or connected, or confused – anything goes, and anything is fair. But I want to hear from you, fellow bloggers, friends and readers of HMDHM, what word would you choose? And before you quit because you feel like you can’t find one word, just list the first one that comes to mind, even if you are biased because you are having a really terrible day, or a really fantastic day for that matter. Just one word.

As for me, I’d say the one word that sums up how becoming a parent has made me feel is aware. I am much more aware of the good, and aware of the bad. I am aware of how lucky I am, and also of how tired I am. Aware may seem like a boring choice, but it summarizes it pretty well for me.

So let’s hear it. Becoming a parent has made me feel ______________. Fill in the blank, and leave your word in the comments section!

There are an unlimited number of opportunities out there, as well as an unlimited number of things that need / want / would benefit from my attention. Being a parent gives me an anchor to deal with all that chaos, because if I put my family’s needs first I am better able to filter the rest of the world into two buckets: 1) what I can realistically do; and 2) everything else that I can ignore.

Fulfilled. My children are grown so I can look back and say how I feel. Although I lost one son I know that he knew that he was loved and there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. And the other two are so great. Yes. Fulfilled.

I wanted to find your story, but when I clicked on the link, it led me to Author S B Mazing’s original posting of the Finish It. What Finish It number did you write for. As I looked through the past stories, I must have missed the one with your name.